Convertible railway-car



R. E. WALKER.

CONVERTIBLE AILWAY CAR.l

RPPLICATION FILED AUG23|1919| Patented June 22, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l I 1 l- TIIII -Il ml R. E. WALKER.

CONVERTBLE RAILWAY CAR.

APPLICATION FILED ALIG.23, I9I9.

Patented June 22, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET?.-

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD E. WALKER, on noANoxE, VIRGINIA.

CONVERTIBLE RAILWAY-GAR.'

Specification of Letters liatejnt.

Patented June 22, 1920.

. Application led August 23, 1919. c Serial No. 319,393.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LI, RICHARD E. WALKER, a citizen of the United States. of America, and a resident of Roanoke, county of Roanoke, and State ofY Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .l Convertible Railway- Cars,l of which the following is a full and clear specification.

The object ofthis invention is to so construct a railway car that it may -be readily converted from. a car of the box type, z'. e., a car having a closed rfoof-structure and a j flat closed bottom, into a car of the gondola type, z'. e., a car having an open top and a flat 4closed bottom; into a car of the open hopper type, e., a car having an open top and a double inclined bottom leading to a center dump-chute; or intoA a car of the closed hopper type, i. e., a car having a closed roof-structure and a double inclined bottom leading to a center dump-chute, asv

more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings* Figure l is a vertical longitudinal Ysec'- tional view showing a car for use-as abox car' a FigsaQ and 3 are views of details hereinafter described;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. l; y

Fig. 5 is a partial en d view ofthe car as adjusted in Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views of de-v tails of the 'overlapping edges of the roofsections.

i Referring "to the drawings ann xed by reference-characters, a designates t e two permanent floor-seotions, one arranged at each end of the car, and o two adjustable floor-sections each extending from one of said permanent sections to the transverse center of the car, these sections serving to complete the floor of the car and being flush with the permanent sections a when the car is adjusted for use as a box car. The inner ends of adjustablel sections b rest .on a transverse beam c at the center of the car, and near their outer ends they are each aflixed lto a rockable shaft d suitably journaled in the Hoor-beams of the car and located under the lioor-section b and a short distance from its outer end. Each of these sections b may be swung upwardly and outwardly toward the end of the car by rock-shaft d, and when thus swung over as far as they will go their outer ends rest upon transverse battens e Y affixed to the end-walls A of the car, as shown 1n dotted lines in Fig. 1. This rocking of the shaft d is accomplished through the medium of a worm-gear f affixed 'to shaft d and engaged by a worm g mounted on the shaft la. journaled in suitable bearings in the s1de of the car, said shaft being squared at one en d to permit it to be turned by the application of a crank-wrench- The usual center dumpfchute is provided underneaththe adjustable section b, this chute 'consistlng of the two oppositely-inclined bottom sections z' and the two central y dump-doors j, )which latter are adapted to be opened and( closed in any suitable manner, desirably by chains and transverse shafts Z. The inclined bottornsections z' d`o not extend entirely to the inner edges of the permanent sections w, but terminate short thereof, leaving a transverse 'space m, which -space is closed by the outer end of the sections is affixed the vertical web of an I-beam 0, the top-plate or flange p of which is curved downwardly on either side of the upright web and has fitted over it an upraised bead o formed on the inner edge of the'other section n so `as to form a weather'- proof joint when the roof is closed. The I-beam o', with the exception of the curved top-flange 0 and that part of the upright web of the beam extending above the lower side of roof-section n, is made short enough to drop down into the 'car when the roof is closed. The ends of the lower part of the I-beam rest upon bracket-supports p aixed to the ends of the ear; the upper part of the I-beam extends over and rests upon the ends of the car along with the entire end of the roof-section. This I-beam gives rigid support to the roof-center the entire length of the car. The'ends of the bead o overlapping the downwardly-curved Hange or strip p of the I-beam are closed down over the ends of the I-beam so as to afford a weather-proof joint, as shown in Fig. 7;

edge to its inner edge. adapted to be rotated manually by any,su1t

also the ends of the roof-section are bent downwardly over the ends of the car, which are beaded outwardly, and afford a weatherproof joint for the entire car-end, as shown in Fig. l. The running-board g is aixed to the bead o. The outer longitudinal edge of each roof-section n rests upon a series or pinions s affixed to a longitudinal shaft t.

j ournaled in suitable bearings outside of the car-wall, adjacent the top-edge thereof. F or each pinion s, the roof-section is provided with a rack-bar u extending transversely of the roof-section, from its outer The shaft t is which is adapted to be driven by a suitable crank-wrench or otherwise. The mechanism drivin one of the shafts t is placed at one end of the car and that driving the other is located at the other end ofthe car with counter-shafts y so placed as to enable both mechanisms to be operated from the same side of the car as that on which the invertible bottom-sections b are manipulated.

Each of the roof-sections n is connected at each end to the adjacent end-wall of; the car by means of a pair of links a and bl, the links a being pivotally connected at their upper inner ends (at 0') to the roof-section near its inner edge, so that when the roofsection is closed the links a will inclineA downwardly and outwardly toward the sidewall of the car. The other links b are pivotally connected at d to the outer edges' of the roof-sections, from which points the links b incline downwardly and inwardl toward the oor ofthe car when the roo of the links a', while, its outer longitudinal i edge is caused to swing outwardly and downwardly by the companion links so that the roof-section moves in a curvilinear path from its closed position to its full.

open position, in which latter position the roof-section stands vertically alongside the` outer face of the side-wall of the car, the links a extending approximately horizontal and the links Z7 extending upwardlyl and away from the longitudinal center line of` the car, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. It will be understood that the roof-section,A during the opening as well as the closing movement thereof, is always in locking engagement with the pinions s so that it is constantly under the perfect control ofthe operator, this control being further insured by use of the worm-gear, a self-locking mechanism which prevents the roof-section at any point in 'its adjustment from getting out of the controlL of the operator, thereby contributing to ease as well as safety in manipulating the roof-section. It will be understood also that in' view of the fact that the roof-sections overlie at their inner edges, it will be necessary in opening the car-roof to first shift the roof-section carrying the overlapping bead o before the other can be shifted; and, reversely, in clos` l ing the roof, the roof-section having the I-beam o attached to its inner edge will first have to be adjusted into `closed position beforethe other roof-section is brought to closed position.

It will be observed that the outer edge of each of the roof-sections a is curved downwardly around the pinions to form a housingffor the shaft and pinions and also a weather-strip-protected joint between the roofsection and the top-edge of the sidewall of the car.

No method of locking the roof-sections down when the roof is closed is deemednecessary, as their weight will keep them down securely. l

It will be -understood that the depending outer edge of each of the roof-sections forms in addition to a housing for the shaft and pinion an effectivev weather-strip for the joint between the roof-section and the top edge of the side-wall ofthe car.

The convertible fiat and hopper bottom construction being shown vand described but not claimed is made the subjec matter of and claimed in my co-pending application Serial Nol 353,674, filed Jan. 24, 1920.

The nature and scope of the invention having been thus indicated and its preferred embodiment having been specifically described, what is claimed as new is.:

1. In a railway car, a removable' r'oofstructure embodyin a pair of longitudinally-extending roo -sections having overlapping members at their inner edges and one of the sections carrying the runningboard, and mechanism for swinging the roof-sections outwardly and downwardly to Vpositions at the sides of the car, said mechanism consisting of a plurality of racks on each roof-section, a shaft journaled in each l rack-bars-oni its underside, a longitudinal 'l side ofthe car vbelow the-top edge of the side wall ofthe car vand outside of said side wall, each of saidshafts being prod vided with pinions engaging the said racks.

f wardly convexed so that the beads lit 2. In a rallway car, a removable roofstructure embodying a pair ofl roof-sections having overlappin upwardly-beaded edges 4along their innere ges, and means for moving these sections outwardly and downwardly, to .positions outside of the walls of the car, each`of said beads extending the length ofthe roof-section and being upclosely one within` the other.,

3. In a -railway car, a removablev roof structure embodylng a pair of roofsections meeting at their inner edges, and mea'ns formovingthese sections outwardly and downwardly embodying .racks and pinions andv also a plurality of links-fior causing the sections to `respectively move in a curvilinear path to their places of. rest at the sides of the car.

4., Ina railway car, la removable roofstructure embodyinga pair of roof-sections meeting atl their inner edges, means for moving'these sections outwardlyl and 'downw'ardly embodying racksand pinions and also a plurality of links `for causing the sectlons to respectively 'move' in a curvi linear path to their places o f rest at the sides of the car, and self-locking gearing for manipulating said racks and pinions.

5. In a railway car, a removable roofstructure embodying a pairof roof-sectionsv each being provided with la plurality of rack-bars arranged transversely at its under side, longitudinal shafts provided withl pinions for engaging said' rack-bars, means for.

operating said shafts, andmeans for hold- .ing'th'e roof-sections in lengagement with the pinions during their movements;

6. In a railway car,- a.removabl`e roof structure embodying-a pair of roof-sections each provided with a plurality'oftransverse shaft arrangedat each side of the car out-` pimons engaging. said racks, means for ro u the end-walls of the dar.

to a vertical position at the side of the car and oscillate on said shaft during movement from one position to the other so as to thereby maintain thefpinio'ns in engagement with the rack-bars vthroughout sald 'move-l ment.

and means for swinging them bodil outwardly and downwardly to uncover t e ofthel car, said 4 means embodying a rockshaft outside of the top-edge of each side- 7. In a railway car, a pairof roof-sections,

top

v wall provided with a plurality ofpinions for actuating the roof-section,` each of said roof-sections carr ing racks and alsdat its provided outer edge beyon said racks bein inwardly with'a spending ortion turne forming with the sldes of the car a' housing for the shaft and pinions.

8. In combination with a car-body whoseV end-walls are beaded outwardly at their upper ends, fa. pair vof roof-sections and means for shifting them to uncover the top of the car, said roof-'sections being provided at their ends with anges dependin adjacent to said outwardly-turned bea s on the end-wall of the car to thereby form weather-proof joints.

9. In combination withJiJ railway vcar, a

pair of` roof-sections, means for swinging ltheln to open position, means for stiifenin vthe roof-structure along the longitudine .center of the car and-at the same timeform a weather-proof joint at the meeting edges of the roof-sections, said means embodying an I-beam aiixed to one Aof the'roof-sections A having` its upper flange bent downwardl to form a bead, and an outer bead forme on the inner edge of the other roof-section, said `beads being curved to lfit onewithin the l0. In combination with a rallway car, a pair of outwardly-moving roof-sections and thereof, lsaid means consisting of interfitroof-structure,- one` of said beads being means adapted to connect the inner edges ting beads running longitudinally 'of the. 'i

formed on vone roof-section andthe other on a.beam attached to the other section, the

ends of said beam being In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. e

adaptedl to rest on RICHARD E. WALKER. 

